{"id":36462,"date":"2026-08-10T12:58:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T07:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36462"},"modified":"2026-08-10T12:58:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T07:58:30","slug":"ella-rubin-on-sterling-point-and-messy-feelings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36462","title":{"rendered":"Ella Rubin on \u2018Sterling Point\u2019 and Messy Feelings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"wwwthecut-zephr-anchor\" data-editable=\"content\">\n<div class=\"lede-image-wrapper feature vertical has-secondary-area-component\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper crop-override\">\n            <picture><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 1180px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 1180px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/cdc\/d04\/0037dc06bd9067fc523100020423712a98-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-004-06.2x.rvertical.w570.jpg 2x\" width=\"570\" height=\"712\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 1180px) \" srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/cdc\/d04\/0037dc06bd9067fc523100020423712a98-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-004-06.rvertical.w570.jpg\" width=\"570\" height=\"712\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 768px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/cdc\/d04\/0037dc06bd9067fc523100020423712a98-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-004-06.2x.rvertical.w570.jpg 2x\" width=\"570\" height=\"712\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/cdc\/d04\/0037dc06bd9067fc523100020423712a98-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-004-06.rvertical.w570.jpg\" width=\"570\" height=\"712\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/cdc\/d04\/0037dc06bd9067fc523100020423712a98-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-004-06.2x.rvertical.w570.jpg\" width=\"570\" height=\"712\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/cdc\/d04\/0037dc06bd9067fc523100020423712a98-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-004-06.rvertical.w570.jpg\" class=\"lede-image\" data-content-img=\"\" width=\"570\" height=\"712\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/> <\/picture>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"lede-image-data\">\n<div class=\"mobile-secondary-area\">\n<aside class=\"article-details_heading-with-paragraph \" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/article-details\/instances\/cms7ublzp00130ihll20s72hu@published\">\n<div class=\"article-details-info\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/tags\/breakout\/\"><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-details-heading\" data-editable=\"headingBlock\">Breakout<\/h2>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"article-details-body\" data-editable=\"body\">\n                Brief chats with people who are doing things that thrill them.\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<p>\n                  <span class=\"credit\">Photo: Javier Cast\u00e1n<\/span>\n              <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/embed-player.newsoveraudio.com\/v5?key=Vb6ITy58Y6jd0iuG22F0UnS1XB9ZH4dV&amp;id=https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/_pages\/cms7ubly6000q0ihlvus81ds2.html\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write *;\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"audio-embed-frame optanon-category-C0004\"><br \/>\n    <\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph_drop-cap\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ublzp00190ihlqa8sdjpk@published\" data-word-count=\"78\">When Ella Rubin was 5 years old, she had her first existential crisis. \u201cMy oldest cousin took me to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/tags\/american-museum-of-natural-history\/\">natural-history museum<\/a> and we were in a projection room zooming through the cosmos,\u201d the 24-year-old actress says, tucking one of her loose curls behind her ear. \u201cThere was this wise female voice-over and she said, \u2018Someday, the Earth won\u2019t exist. But that\u2019s in millions of years from now when we\u2019ll all be gone.\u2019 My stomach dropped so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucwq7000m3b7cegyys1vv@published\" data-word-count=\"125\">Almost exactly 20 years later, the New York native is nowhere near as fearful about the end of the world as she was back in kindergarten, but she hasn\u2019t completely let go of her hang-ups. Sitting in the back patio of <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/tags\/lucali\/\">Lucali<\/a>, the cozy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/article\/the-wedding-files-julie-paul.html\">Cobble Hill<\/a> pizza joint known for its long lines, simple menu, and celebrity clientele, Rubin takes a look at the margherita pizza we ordered and points out the big chunks of basil dotting the surface. \u201cCan we eat basil?\u201d she asks, and before I can whip out my phone to check if the herb is safe from the current cyclospora-parasite outbreak, she decides against taking that gamble and carefully picks off the greens before folding her pizza and taking a bite.<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucwri000n3b7czzm9mfga@published\" data-word-count=\"121\">The character she plays on <em>Sterling Point<\/em>, Prime Video\u2019s newest addition to its slate of young-adult series, isn\u2019t much of a risk-taker either. But Rubin brings a<strong> <\/strong>softened maturity and natural curiosity to Annie Jacobson, the straitlaced, Brooklyn-bred overachiever.<strong> <\/strong>The series, from writer-director <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/article\/megan-park-my-old-ass-movie-interview.html\">Megan Park<\/a>, follows Annie and her twin brother, Connor (played by an affable Keen Ruffalo), after they discover they have inherited an island in Canada from their estranged grandfather. Their single father (Jay Duplass) brushes it all off, which sends Annie on a journey of self-discovery. When she arrives at the island, called Sterling Point, she uncovers the truth about her deceased adoptive mom and finds out about the younger sister (Am\u00e9lie Hoeferle) she never knew she had.<\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cms7uypsu000r3b7c2hd8fjjt@published\" class=\"nym-image flex inline original-horizontal image\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image-container flex inline \">\n<div class=\"img-figure\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper hidden\">\n<picture><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 1180px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 1180px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/c7b\/b51\/4e461a29429d8c0196e30d931f105e7a00-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-002-03.2x.w710.jpg 2x\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 1180px) \" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/c7b\/b51\/4e461a29429d8c0196e30d931f105e7a00-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-002-03.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 768px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/c7b\/b51\/4e461a29429d8c0196e30d931f105e7a00-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-002-03.2x.w710.jpg 2x\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/c7b\/b51\/4e461a29429d8c0196e30d931f105e7a00-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-002-03.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/c7b\/b51\/4e461a29429d8c0196e30d931f105e7a00-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-002-03.2x.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/c7b\/b51\/4e461a29429d8c0196e30d931f105e7a00-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-002-03.w710.jpg\" class=\"img-data\" data-content-img=\"\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"\/> <\/picture>\n          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <span class=\"credit\">Photo: Javier Cast\u00e1n<\/span>\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucwss000o3b7czxljmtef@published\" data-word-count=\"64\">\u201cAnnie feels that she doesn\u2019t have the right to be sad about missing someone she never really knew,\u201d Rubin tells me, leaning forward onto the table between us. \u201cShe uses perfection and drive to fill a mysterious hole, but there\u2019s a real messiness to her that I didn\u2019t want to shy away from just because she\u2019s someone who is, on paper, really put together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucwuf000p3b7cuo4pl44n@published\" data-word-count=\"114\">Like Annie, Rubin has spent her whole life in the city. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of the only place I truly know how to live,\u201d she says matter-of-factly. Raised on the Upper West Side, she was scouted by an acting agent during an after-school theater-class production of <em>Seussical the Musical<\/em>. Her best friend, Mia, had urged her to join. \u201cOn day one, the teacher was really intense and crazy. We\u2019re 10 years old and he\u2019s bringing children to tears talking to us about the seriousness of what we were doing,\u201d Rubin remembers. \u201cI look over at Mia and she\u2019s crying, whispering,<em> <\/em>\u2018I don\u2019t want to be here.\u2019 And I remember thinking, <em>Oh shit, I <\/em>really<em> do.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucwvt000q3b7crccf6py5@published\" data-word-count=\"103\">She remembers school being tough and suggests that her habit of daydreaming might have deterred her from the kind of academic success her character achieves on <em>Sterling Point<\/em>. But Rubin put all her serious energy into acting, which she says immediately felt fulfilling.\u00a0After class, she would go from audition to audition, always carrying a metal briefcase to seem more mature and stand out. Her first film role, in <em>The Rewrite<\/em>, put her on the same set as Marisa Tomei and Hugh Grant. By the time she was a senior in high school, she\u2019d made her Broadway debut in Tennessee Williams\u2019s <em>The Rose Tattoo.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cms7uzh7n000x3b7c2fectpsr@published\" class=\"nym-image flex inline original-horizontal image\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image-container flex inline \">\n<div class=\"img-figure\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper hidden\">\n<picture><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 1180px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 1180px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/1f4\/c24\/51fccaab8ab665324a848c6e5ad6972565-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-007-03.2x.w710.jpg 2x\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 1180px) \" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/1f4\/c24\/51fccaab8ab665324a848c6e5ad6972565-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-007-03.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 768px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/1f4\/c24\/51fccaab8ab665324a848c6e5ad6972565-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-007-03.2x.w710.jpg 2x\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/1f4\/c24\/51fccaab8ab665324a848c6e5ad6972565-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-007-03.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/1f4\/c24\/51fccaab8ab665324a848c6e5ad6972565-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-007-03.2x.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/1f4\/c24\/51fccaab8ab665324a848c6e5ad6972565-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-007-03.w710.jpg\" class=\"img-data\" data-content-img=\"\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"\/> <\/picture>\n          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <span class=\"credit\">Photo: Javier Cast\u00e1n<\/span>\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucwwy000r3b7c1i15gks0@published\" data-word-count=\"88\">Her dedication earned her parts on series like the irreverent comedy <em>Difficult People<\/em> and <em>The Chair<\/em>, on which she played an eager-beaver college student enamored with her professor, also played by Duplass. He became her mentor. \u201cI was so young and I wanted to be a writer, but I was kind of scared to admit it to anybody,\u201d Rubin says. \u201cOne day, we were waiting to do a scene, and he looked at me and he just said, \u2018You\u2019re a writer. Why don\u2019t you send me your stuff?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucwyf000s3b7czhd47u2r@published\" data-word-count=\"107\">After she landed a part on the true-crime miniseries <em>The Girl From Plainville<\/em> and a spot on the <em>Gossip Girl<\/em> reboot, Rubin\u2019s career really started to accelerate. She appeared in Sean Baker\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/article\/mikey-madison-anora-lady-in-the-lake-interview.html\"><em>Anora<\/em><\/a>; <em>Fear Street: Prom Queen<\/em>, the second installment of the Netflix slasher trilogy based on R.L. Stine\u2019s books; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/article\/review-anne-hathaway-is-too-hot-for-the-idea-of-you.html\"><em>The Idea of You<\/em><\/a>, playing Anne Hathaway\u2019s boy-band-obsessed daughter. Hathaway, or \u201cMother,\u201d as Rubin calls her, gave her a \u201cmaster class\u201d on set: \u201cShe taught me a lot about how shrinking yourself or overapologizing causes you to suffer not only personally but creatively, and I\u2019ve tried to take that lesson with me to every set since.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucwzl000t3b7cl2lwak35@published\" data-word-count=\"102\">By the time <em>Sterling Point <\/em>came around, Rubin was more prepared to let herself tap into her inner child and feel everything without shame. She laments the way young adults think of themselves now, the way smartphones and social media have made us too self-conscious to display vulnerability. \u201cPeople think it\u2019s embarrassing to really want something right now,\u201d she says. \u201cDeath to nonchalance. What\u2019s the point? Why are we pretending? And why is it not cool to try or to desire? When we watched movies growing up, people made grand gestures and made fools of themselves. I want to see yearners onscreen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucx1z000u3b7cu7rzw71x@published\" data-word-count=\"103\">When Park was casting the part of Annie, she was looking for someone who could play a put-together go-getter but still nail the comedic timing required of the role. \u201cWhen I saw Ella\u2019s audition tape, she was flawless. But I was like, <em>Wow, this is also somebody I want to see unravel a little bit,<\/em>\u201d says Park. \u201cElla is definitely very neurotic and type-A and hard on herself, but I think she is trying to break free of that a little bit. It was really fun to watch her explore that and loosen up as Annie does by the end of the show.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cms7v0dew00133b7c0ppj0zis@published\" class=\"nym-image flex inline original-horizontal image\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image-container flex inline \">\n<div class=\"img-figure\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper hidden\">\n<picture><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 1180px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 1180px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/369\/75f\/61ec91f2cff585064cc2d6b9d4f816ab72-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-02.2x.w710.jpg 2x\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 1180px) \" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/369\/75f\/61ec91f2cff585064cc2d6b9d4f816ab72-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-02.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 768px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/369\/75f\/61ec91f2cff585064cc2d6b9d4f816ab72-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-02.2x.w710.jpg 2x\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/369\/75f\/61ec91f2cff585064cc2d6b9d4f816ab72-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-02.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/369\/75f\/61ec91f2cff585064cc2d6b9d4f816ab72-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-02.2x.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/369\/75f\/61ec91f2cff585064cc2d6b9d4f816ab72-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-02.w710.jpg\" class=\"img-data\" data-content-img=\"\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"\/> <\/picture>\n          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <span class=\"credit\">Photo: Javier Cast\u00e1n<\/span>\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ukxu2003a3b7co3pwj8o2@published\" data-word-count=\"201\">Though <em>Sterling Point<\/em> is the first series created by Park, her reputation as a filmmaker who knows how to write a teenage girl with blinding accuracy precedes her. Rubin was a fan of Park\u2019s first two features, <em>The Fallout<\/em> and <em>My Old Ass<\/em>.\u00a0\u201cWhether or not you\u2019re similar to her characters, there\u2019s a level of understanding you feel with them because they\u2019re real people,\u201d Rubin says. The series was shot in Ontario last summer between Toronto and Muskoka, and Rubin remembers Park telling the actors they should just play as if they were at summer camp. \u201cElla is so funny, and she brought this layer of comedy to Annie we weren\u2019t expecting,\u201d Park says. \u201cI kept being like, \u2018You\u2019re giving young Sandra Bullock to me.\u2019\u201d Rubin remembers she would sometimes almost black out during filming, unable to remember what she said or did, only to rewatch it later and think to herself,<em> I didn\u2019t know I could make that face.<\/em> \u201cThe fact that she cast me taking a risk really gave me a level of faith in myself that allowed me feel really free in the role,\u201d Rubin says. \u201cAnd feeling confident in playing Annie allowed me to let go of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucx39000v3b7cqurd4l44@published\" data-word-count=\"184\">At Lucali, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/tags\/world-cup\/\">2026 World Cup<\/a> final broadcast has just ended (Rubin didn\u2019t watch but did tune in for the historic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/tags\/new-york-knicks\/\">Knicks<\/a> run a few weeks earlier), and as luck would have it, American royalty have just tried to sneak out past us. When Rubin\u2019s eyes catch sight of Beyonc\u00e9 walking out with Jay-Z, she doesn\u2019t say anything. Instead, we both hold our breath. It\u2019s not until after they drive off in their black SUV that we giggle and hold up our cans of beer to offer a cheers \u201cto a classic New York night.\u201d Later, after finishing our drinks, loudly yapping about astrology, and deciding if we should hit up Brooklyn Farmacy &amp; Soda Fountain for dessert, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/article\/kylie-jenner-called-timothe-chalamet-daddy.html\">Kylie Jenner and Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/a> slink into the patio and sit at the table next to us. There\u2019s no way we can leave now. \u201cOh my God,\u201d Rubin mouths to me as their backs are turned. A few minutes pass before they get up and go inside. \u201cOh no, did we ruin their date?\u201d she wonders, letting out another laugh at the absurdity of the night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucx4m000w3b7cm29tg62n@published\" data-word-count=\"73\">Yesterday, Rubin had just watched the season finale of <em>Sterling Point <\/em>on FaceTime with Hoeferle, who plays Ramona, Annie\u2019s independent, unruly younger sister. \u201cWe\u2019ve been too scared to watch it because it\u2019s the rip-your-heart-out, cut-you-open, classic Megan Park\u2013style moment where she just destroys your whole soul,\u201d Rubin says. \u201cWe were joking last night about how we accidentally went slightly Method. But we were so invested in our characters that it just happened naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cms7v11mq00193b7cdki0hehh@published\" class=\"nym-image flex inline original-horizontal image\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image-container flex inline \">\n<div class=\"img-figure\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapper hidden\">\n<picture><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 1180px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 1180px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/652\/e87\/817308a86166effea192ffca361e51b10d-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-07.2x.w710.jpg 2x\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 1180px) \" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/652\/e87\/817308a86166effea192ffca361e51b10d-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-07.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi) and (min-width: 768px), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/652\/e87\/817308a86166effea192ffca361e51b10d-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-07.2x.w710.jpg 2x\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/652\/e87\/817308a86166effea192ffca361e51b10d-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-07.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><source media=\"(min-resolution: 192dpi), (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/652\/e87\/817308a86166effea192ffca361e51b10d-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-07.2x.w710.jpg\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/652\/e87\/817308a86166effea192ffca361e51b10d-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-001-07.w710.jpg\" class=\"img-data\" data-content-img=\"\" width=\"710\" height=\"1281\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"\/> <\/picture>\n          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <span class=\"credit\">Photo: Javier Cast\u00e1n<\/span>\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucx74000x3b7cjd5lefez@published\" data-word-count=\"123\">Playing the older sister was easy for Rubin even though she\u2019s the younger of two in her family. \u201cTo put sisters onscreen is such a smart way to show love,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m so glad I\u2019m talking to someone with a sister,\u201d she continues, \u201cbecause there\u2019s something about it you can\u2019t explain.\u201d<strong> <\/strong>She tells me one of the season\u2019s final gut-wrenching moments between Annie and Ramona was improvised. \u201cEvery time I had an emotional scene regarding sisterhood, my sister was at the front of my mind,\u201d Rubin says. \u201cJust thinking about the fact that I could have such a vicious fight with someone and also love her so much I would jump in front of a bus for her with no questions asked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"clay-paragraph\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/clay-paragraph\/instances\/cms7ucx8p000y3b7cm3hfag94@published\" data-word-count=\"143\">In addition to strengthening her real-life sibling relationship, <em>Sterling Point <\/em>taught Rubin she had the chops for comedy, which she would love to do again. She\u2019s also interested in roles that are physically challenging, like those of an athlete or a dancer.<strong> <\/strong>One of her favorite movies is Noah Baumbach\u2019s <em>Frances Ha<\/em>, which is exactly the type of project she\u2019d want to work on one day. She tears up thinking about her best friend, Mia.\u00a0\u201cTo love a woman as a best friend, there is literally nothing else like it on the planet. It\u2019s so pure. It\u2019s so deep,\u201d Rubin says. \u201cThere\u2019s so many movies about female friendship and the real grief of that. When we get a little bit older and move to different places and they\u2019re no longer your first call, what is that like? The pain of that. It\u2019s pretty sickening.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/newsletter-flex-text\/instances\/cms7umwz3003h3b7cyqesdr1s@published\" class=\"newsletter-flex-text initially-hidden opacity-zero\" data-track-id=\"thecut\" data-track-type=\"newsletter-signup\">\n<div class=\"wrapper-style\">\n<div data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"text-form-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Stay in touch.<\/h3>\n<p>Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"terms-and-policy-wrapper initially-hidden\">\n<p>        <button class=\"terms-button\" role=\"button\">Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"expanded-terms \" aria-hidden=\"true\">By submitting your email, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/newyork\/terms\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Terms<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/newyork\/privacy\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Notice<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"related related-count-1\" data-uri=\"www.thecut.com\/_components\/related\/instances\/cms7ukhat00323b7cickf0o34@published\" data-track-type=\"article-list\">\n<h3 class=\"related-title\" data-editable=\"title\">Related<\/h3>\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breakout Brief chats with people who are doing things that thrill them. Photo: Javier Cast\u00e1n When Ella Rubin was 5 years old, she had her first existential crisis. \u201cMy oldest cousin took me to the natural-history museum and we were in a projection room zooming through the cosmos,\u201d the 24-year-old actress says, tucking one of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/pyxis.nymag.com\/v1\/imgs\/cdc\/d04\/0037dc06bd9067fc523100020423712a98-107477-JCA-TheCutMagazine-004-06.1x.rsocial.w1200.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-trending-viral-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}